DRAFT REGULATIONS FOR Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) of WEST BENGAL

STATE UNIVERSITY, BARASAT

The CBCS course will comprise of the following

1. Core Course: A course, which should compulsorily be studied by a candidate as a core requirement
of the chosen discipline(s) is termed as a Core course.

2. Elective Course: Generally a course which can be chosen from a pool of courses and which may be
very specific or specialized or advanced or supportive to the discipline/ subject of study or which
provides an extended scope or which enables an exposure to some other discipline/subject/domain or
nurtures the candidate’s proficiency/skill is called an Elective Course.

2.1 Discipline Specific Elective (DSE) Course: Elective courses may be offered by the main
discipline/subject of study is referred to as Discipline Specific Elective. The University may also offer
discipline related Elective courses of interdisciplinary nature (to be offered by main discipline/subject
of study).

2.2 Dissertation/Project: An elective course designed to acquire special/advanced knowledge, such as

supplement study/support study to a project work, and a candidate studies such a course on his own
with an advisory support by a teacher/faculty member is called dissertation/project.

2.3 Generic Elective (GE) Course: An elective course chosen generally from an unrelated
discipline/subject, with an intention to seek exposure is called a Generic Elective. P.S.: A core course
offered in a discipline/subject may be treated as an elective by other discipline/subject and vice versa
and such electives may also be referred to as Generic Elective.

3. Ability Enhancement Courses (AEC): The Ability Enhancement (AE) Courses will be of two kinds:
Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC) and Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC). AECC
courses are the courses based upon the content that leads to Knowledge enhancement. These are
mandatory for all disciplines. SEC courses are value-based and/or skill-based and are aimed at
providing hands-on-training, competencies, skills, etc.

3.1 Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC): i) Environmental Science, ii) English
Communication/MIL Communication (MIL stand for Modern Indian Language).

3.2 Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC): These courses may be chosen from a pool of courses designed to
provide value-based and/or skill-based knowledge.
The University also has plans for Introducing Research Component in Under-Graduate Courses at a
later stage of the implementation process. (Project work/Dissertation is considered as a special course
involving application of knowledge in solving / analyzing /exploring a real life situation / difficult
problem. A Project/Dissertation work would be of 6 credits. A Project/Dissertation work may be given
in lieu of a discipline specific elective course.)

4. MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR DEGREE

4.1 An undergraduate (B. Sc, B. A., B. Com.) degree with Honours in a discipline may be awarded if a
student completes 14 core courses in that discipline, 2 Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses
(AECC), minimum 2 Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC) and 4 courses each from a list of Discipline
Specific Elective and Generic Elective courses respectively.

4.2 An undergraduate (B. Sc General) Program degree in Science disciplines may be awarded if a
student completes 4 core courses each in three disciplines of choice, 2 Ability Enhancement
Compulsory Courses (AECC), minimum 4 Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC) and 2 courses each from
a list of Discipline Specific Elective courses based on three disciplines of choice selected above,
respectively.

4.3 An Undergraduate (B. A. General, B. Com General) program degree in Arts (Humanities/ Social
Sciences) / Commerce may be awarded if a student completes 4 core courses each in two
disciplines of choice, 2 core courses each in English and MIL respectively, 2 Ability Enhancement
Compulsory Courses (AECC), minimum 4 Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC), 2 courses each from a
list of Discipline Specific Elective courses based on the two disciplines of choice selected above,
respectively, and two courses from the list of Generic Electives courses.

The credit(s) for each theory course/practical/tutorial/project/dissertation will be as per the details
given in A, B, C, D for B.Sc. Honours, B.A./B.Com. Honours, B.Sc. Program and B.A./B.Com. Program,
respectively.

* Wherever there is a practical, there will be no tutorial and vice- versa.

The courses for the different semesters will be as given in the following Tables E, F and G.

Table E : Distribution of courses in different semesters for Undergraduate (Honours) courses

Semester Core DSE GE AECC SEC Total

credit
I C1 GE1 Environmental 20
Science
C2

II C3 GE2 English/MIL 20
Communication
C4

III C5 GE3 SEC1 26

C6

C7

IV C8 GE4 SEC2 26

C9

C10

V C11 DSE1,DSE2 24

C12

VI C13 DSE3,DSE4 24

C14

Total 14 4 4 2 2 140
number of
courses
Table F : Distribution of courses in different semesters for Undergraduate course in Sciences

Semester Core DSE GE AECC SEC Total

credit
I DSC 1A Environmental 20
DSC 2A Science

DSC 3A
II DSC 1B English/MIL 20
DSC 2B Communication

DSC 3B

III DSC 1C SEC1 20

DSC 2C
DSC 3C

IV DSC 1D SEC2 20
DSC 2D
DSC 3D

V DSE1A SEC3 20

DSE2A

DSC3A

VI DSE1B SEC4 20

DSE2B

DSC3B

Total 12 6 0 2 4 120
number of
courses
Table G : Distribution of courses in different semesters for Undergraduate course in Arts
(Humanities/Social Sciences) / Commerce

Semester Core DSE GE AECC SEC Total

credit
I DSC 1A Environmental 20
DSC 2A Science

English
II DSC 1B English/MIL 20
DSC 2B Communication

English

III DSC 1C SEC1 20

DSC 2C
MIL

IV DSC 1D SEC2 20
DSC 2D
MIL

V DSE1A GE1 SEC3 20

DSE2A

VI DSE1B GE2 SEC4 20

DSE2B

Total 12 4 2 2 4 120
number of
courses

5. The University shall offer a number of choices of courses from different disciplines under Generic
Elective and Discipline Specific Elective as per the availability of the courses/faculty at a particular
time.
6. The University will evolve a system/policy about Extra Curricular Activities/ General Interest and
Hobby Courses/Sports/NCC/NSS/Vocational courses/related courses which shall be intimated in due
course of time.

7. A student can opt for more number of Elective and AE Elective courses than proposed under the
model curriculum of the University as per UGC rules. However the total credit score earned will not
exceed 160 credits for UG Honours and 140 credits for UG Program degree.

8. A student admitted in a particular department must opt for Generic Elective offered by another
department. i.e., a student admitted under B. Sc (Hons) in Zoology cannot opt for Generic Elective
courses offered by the Department of Zoology.

9. Although as per UGC rules, a student obtaining 24 credits in particular discipline has the minimum
qualification for admission eligibility requirement for PG/ Technical courses in Indian
Universities/Institutions, the University shall exercise and have the right to have admission criteria
which is in addition to the said minimum eligibility criteria towards post graduate admission. The same
will be fixed and determined by the respective post graduate admission body of the University.

10. An Honours students will be eligible as per minimum eligibility criteria for post graduate in another
discipline provided the student opts for Generic Elective of a particular subject in each semester to
earn 24 credits in the concerned discipline.

11. DURATION OF COURSE

For all the students obtaining admissions under the Three Year Under-graduate Program under CBCS
starting 2018-19, the period to complete the course will be a maximum 5 years from the year of
admission in the first semester, provided the student has completed all requirements to become
eligible for appearing in the University Examinations as per rules.

12. Mechanism of computation of work-load per week:

i) 1 Credit = 1 Theoretical class of 1- hour duration
ii) 1 Credit = 1 Tutorial class of 1- hour duration
iii) 1 Credit = 1 Practical class of 2- hour duration
Semester duration : 15 weeks of direct teaching
13. MARKS DISTRIBUTION AND EVALUATION

13.1. Full marks for each course of

B.A./ B.Sc./ B.Com. (Hons. & Gen.), carrying 6 credits, will be 75
B.A./ B.Sc./ B.Com. ( Hons. & Gen.), carrying 2 credits, will be 25

13.2 The University has allotted 20% of the internal marks towards regular attendance to ensure the
presence of students in the classroom which is the fundamental concept of the CBCS system.

13.3 Marks distribution for Theoretical Courses (no practical component) will be as follows
i) For a 6 credit course having 75 marks, 25 marks shall be assessed by the College (internal) and 50
marks by the University (End Semester).

ii) Out of the 25 marks allotted as internal evaluation the breakup of marks will be as follows

5 marks (20%) on attendance and 20 marks (80%) in the form of class test/ assignment/ seminar /any
other method to be decided by the respective Board of Studies.

iii) The marks (5) for attendance shall be allotted as

Attendance >90% = 5 marks

Attendance >80% but less than 90% = 4 marks

Attendance >75% but less than 80% = 3 marks

Attendance >70% but less than 75% = 2 marks

Attendance >60% but less than 70% = 1 mark

13.4 Marks distribution for Courses, having practical component will be as follows
For a 6 credit course having practical component the total marks will be distributed as Part A (Theory)
50 marks + Part B (Practical) 25 marks = 75 marks

Part A
i) For a 4 credit theory course having 50 marks, 10 marks shall be assessed by the College (internal)
and 40 marks by the University (End Semester).
ii) Out of the 10 marks allotted as internal evaluation the breakup of marks will be as follows

2 marks (20%) on attendance and 8 marks (80%) in the form of class test/ assignment/ seminar /any
other method to be decided by the respective Board of Studies.

iii) The marks (2) for attendance shall be allotted as

Attendance >90% = 2 marks

Attendance >60% but less than 90% = 1 mark

Part B

i) For a 2 credit practical course having 25 marks, 15 marks shall be assessed by the College (internal)
and 10 marks by the University (End Semester)/college (as end semester) evaluation.

ii) Out of the 15 marks allotted as internal evaluation the breakup of marks will be as follows

3 marks (20%) on attendance and 12 marks (80%) in the form of continuous assessment of the
practical classes /any other method to be decided by the respective Board of Studies.

iii) The marks (3) for attendance shall be allotted as

Attendance >90% = 3 marks

Attendance >75% but less than 90% = 2 marks

Attendance >60% but less than 75% = 1 mark

iv) The End semester examination shall be in the form of a Grand Viva-voce/Laboratory note book
evaluation/ hands on experiment/ demonstration/ any other method to be decided by the respective
Board of Studies. However, the candidate shall be barred from appearing in the said end semester
examination if atleast 60% of his/her practical assignments are not duly signed by the respective
teacher in the college.

v) For Core and DSE courses under the Honours program the end semester evaluation will be
organized by the University but for GE courses under the Honours program and Core, DSE and GE
courses under the general program the end semester evaluation will be organized by the college
where the student is registered.
13.5 The pattern and the breakup of marks allotted for the question in the different examinations
shall be finalized by the respective Board of Studies in the relevant subject. The University shall ensure
that both objective and subjective questions are part of the evaluation system to assess the overall
concept of the candidate.

13.6 For the AECC of 2 credits comprising of 25 marks, 5 marks (20%) have been allotted for regular
attendance and 20 marks (80%) for End semester examination.

i) The marks (5) for attendance shall be allotted as

Attendance >90% = 5 marks

Attendance >80% but less than 90% = 4 marks

Attendance >75% but less than 80% = 3 marks

Attendance >70% but less than 75% = 2 marks

Attendance >60% but less than 70% = 1 mark

ii) The End Semester Examination for Environmental Science shall be in the form of Multiple Choice
questions which shall be evaluated by the college. However, question papers will be sent centrally by
the University. The evaluation can be either through OMR or conventional methods.

iii) The End semester Examination of English/MIL communication shall be conducted by the college.
The evaluation method is to be finalized after taking into account the course structure after due
approval from the respective Board of Studies in the concerned subjects.

13.7 For the SEC of 2 credits comprising of 25 marks, 5 marks (20%) have been allotted for regular
attendance and 20 marks (80%) for End semester examination.

i) The marks (5) for attendance shall be allotted as

Attendance >90% = 5 marks

Attendance >80% but less than 90% = 4 marks

Attendance >75% but less than 80% = 3 marks

Attendance >70% but less than 75% = 2 marks

Attendance >60% but less than 70% = 1 mark

ii) The End Semester Examination shall be conducted by the College. The evaluation method is to be
finalized after taking into account the course and the facilities available after due approval from the
respective Board of Studies in the concerned subject.

13.8 The University shall hold the end semester examinations in a centralized manner for the Core
Courses (CC)and Discipline Specific Elective (DSE) courses and the evaluation of the answer scripts will
also be done in a centralized manner.

13.9 The University shall hold the end semester examinations in a centralized manner for the Generic
Elective (GE) courses and the evaluation of the answer scripts will be done internally by the respective
colleges.

14.The distribution of marks will be as follows

B.A./ B.Sc./ B.Com. (Hons)

CC : 75 x 14 = 1050
DSE : 75 x 4 = 300
GE : 75 x 4 = 300
AECC : 25 x 2 = 50
SEC : 25 x 2 = 50

Total : 1750 marks (140 credits)

B.A. & B.Com. (Gen.) B.Sc. (Gen.)

CC : 75 x 12 = 900 CC : 75 x 12 = 900
DSE : 75 x 4 = 300 DSE : 75 x 6 = 450
GE : 75 x 2 = 150 AECC : 25 x 2 = 50
AECC : 25 x 2 = 50 SEC : 25 x 4 = 100
SEC : 25 x 4 = 100

Total : 1500 marks) 1500 marks

(120 credits) (120 credits)
15. Pass Percentage and Promotion Rules for All the Under-Graduate Courses under Choice Based
Credit System.

The following provisions shall be applicable to students admitted to the Three Year Undergraduate
program under Choice Based Credit System (CBCS):
15.1 A student who appears in a semester examinations or who was eligible to appear in the semester
examinations but remains absent in any or all the courses of the said semester, shall move on to the
next semester irrespective of his/her result in the said examinations. This will only be applicable upto
the 4th semester examination.
15.2 A student who has obtained at least 40% in all the courses in theory examination (including
internal assessment/ project work) and practical examination separately conducted in the different
semester examinations shall be promoted to the next semester without any backlog.
15.3 A student who has not obtained at least 40% in all the courses in theory examination (internal
assessment/ project work) and practical examinations separately, conducted in the different semester
examinations shall be promoted to the next semester with previous uncleared backlog courses.
However, the candidate must clear all his backlog courses before he is promoted to the final 6th
semester. In other word, a student cannot be promoted to the 6th semester if he has not cleared all his
previous courses.
15.4 Students who do not fulfill the promotion criteria mentioned above shall be declared fail.
However, they shall have the option to retain the marks in the courses in which they have passed.
15.5 If a student has secured the minimum number of credit necessary for the relevant degree
taking together all the courses in theory examination (including internal assessment/ project,
wherever applicable) and practical exam separately till the end of the third year, i.e., upto the
end of the VIth semester, then she/he shall be awarded the degree in which the student
has been admitted.
15.6 A student who wants to re-appear for clearing backlog in a course will have to do so only when
the corresponding course is offered/ evaluated in the next semester under regular examination
procedure. A student failing in any Semeter examination will have to appear for clearing the backlog
when the same semester examination is held next year and so on. However, the internal
assessment/internal marks will remain unaltered.

16. Re-appearance for improvement

16.1 A student may re-appear in any theory course prescribed for a semester, on foregoing
in writing her/his previous performance in the course/s concerned. This can be done in the
immediate subsequent semester examination only (for example, a student reappearing in course
prescribed for semester I examination may do so along with subsequent semester III examination
and not along with courses for semester V).
16.2 This option of reappearance for improvement will be available only once per course against
prescribed fees. All request for reappearance for improvement must be made within 15 days of
publication of result after which no such request will be entertained.
16.3 A candidate who has cleared the 6th semester examination but wants to apply for reappearance
for improvement in the 6th semester course in the immediate subsequent semester when the course
is being offered under regular study must forgo in writing his/her previous performance in the
course concerned within the prescribed time period of 15 days. However, candidates under this
category will not be allowed to join in any postgraduate course under this university.
16.4 In the case of re-appearance in course, the candidate will have to forgo his earlier marks
obtained and the result will be prepared on the basis of candidate’s latest performance in the
examinations.
16.5 In the case of a candidate, who opts to re-appear in any course/s under the aforesaid
provisions, on surrendering her/his earlier performance but fails to reappear in the course/s
concerned, the marks previously secured by the candidate in the course/s in which she/he has failed
to re-appear shall be taken into account while determining her/his result of the examination held
currently.
16.6 Re-appearance in practical/internal assessment shall not be allowed. An exception to this will
be only applicable when the candidate decides to rejoin the entire semester by taking fresh
admission to the relevant semester after paying necessary admission fees as prescribed.
16.7 There shall be no supplementary examinations for any courses.

16. Letter grades and grade points

A student who becomes eligible for the degree will be categorized on the basis of the combined result
of semester I to semester VI examinations under CBCS on a 10 point grading system with the following
Letter Grades as given below:
Letter Grade Grade Point
O (Outstanding) 10
A+ (Excellent) 9
A (Very Good) 8
B+ (Good) 7
B (Above Average) 6
C (Average) 5
P (Pass) 4
F (Fail) 0
Ab (Absent) 0

Issue of Transcripts: Based on the grades earned, a Grade Certificate shall be issued to all the
registered students by the University after every semester and a consolidated transcript indicating the
performance in all semesters. The Grade Certificate will display the course details (code, title of the
course, number of credits, grade secured) along with SGPA of each semester and CGPA earned based
on overall six semesters.